


Not a Lover

by almosthuman_butnotquite



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: I Don't Even Know, Love Confessions, M/M, Schmoop, What Was I Thinking?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-29 02:21:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6354889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/almosthuman_butnotquite/pseuds/almosthuman_butnotquite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jedediah was not a lover.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not a Lover

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this like three years ago and I just dug it up this morning. I didn't even edit it. Enjoy.

Jedediah was not a lover. He was a fighter, a cow poke, an idiot, a reckless driver — the list was extensive, but lover was not among those adjectives. Octavius knew this, contemplated Jed's good traits, and realized that it really didn't matter what he was on the inside. It didn't matter because Octavius loved all of it. Even the bad parts.

Jed knew he was lucky, but he never knew just how lucky he was. Just to have the Roman general as his friend was more than enough, but when Toga Boy told him how he felt, he felt like he was on cloud nine. Nothing else mattered at that point.

He could remember tugging Octavius close to him for an awkward and kind of sloppy kiss that night. Octavius didn't mind of course; it was a kiss from his cowboy. It was still amazing.

"Octo," Jed said as he stopped Octavius from walking. He took both of Octavius' hands in his own and gave him that crooked grin he knew Octavius loved so much. "D'ya remember the first time we worked together?"

"And you simply wanted nothing to do with me?" He chuckled. "Of course I remember."

"And d'ya remember when we crashed the car?"

"Don't you mean when _you_ crashed the car?"

Jed rolled his eyes. Those eyes bluer than what Octavius had seen of the sky during the day. "That ain't the point, Octy. We were friends when I crashed it. An' when we were at the big museum with Common Ramen an' I was trapped in that hourglass, d'ya know why I sent ya away?"

Octavius considered it for a few moments. "I do not."

"I realized that I..." He ducked his head to hide his flushed face. Octavius felt bad for making him get flustered. "That I was in love with ya... But I ain't a lover, Octy. I'm a fighter, and that's why I fought ya for so long. I didn't wanna fall in love with ya. I made ya go so that I could save ya from my bein' in love with ya. I thought that if I was gonna die, that ya could go on livin' without the burden of knowin' how I felt."

"Why would you ever think that, Jedediah?"

"'Cause you're the best person I know. But when ya came back for me, I knew ya at least cared, even if ya didn't reciprocate my feelings." He laughed. "I remember when ya took yer helmet off to bust me outta that sand trap, an' I couldn't stop thinking about how shiny an' glorious ya looked. I rather like ya without yer helmet on."

Octavius wouldn't allow himself to blush. "Are you saying that you think I'm handsome, Jedediah?"

Jed, however, did blush. "Well, yeah. There a reason I shouldn't find ya handsome?"

Octavius squeezed Jed's hands. "Of course there isn't."

Jed doffed his hat and leaned forward to kiss Octavius, who reciprocated eagerly with warm hands framing Jed's face. Jed's arms curled around Octavius and held him close, the Roman's metal armor be damned.

Octavius on the other hand, was not on the same thought train as Jed was. He pulled away and placed Jed's hat back on him. "Jedediah, perhaps we may continue this where we no longer seem to have an audience?"

Jed looked around and noticed that the Romans and cowboys were watching and cheering from their dioramas. He kicked at the floor beneath them. "Shucks," he said quietly. He found Octavius' hand and led him from the room as his face burned like a brand.

Octavius laughed with good humor as they found their car. He noticed with relief that Larry had not attached Rex's bone to the bumper, which meant they could do whatever they wanted to tonight. He climbed into the passenger seat with Jed behind the wheel. Octavius always felt concerned for their safety when Jed drove, but then again, he was always concerned when doing anything with Jed. The man was reckless.

But that was part of the reason Octavius had fallen in love with him. Jed looked at Octavius and leaned across the console to kiss him tenderly, something he rarely did. Octavius grinned at him and Jed let out a little whoop. He started the car and they sped off down the halls so fast that Octavius had to hold onto his helmet.

Yep, Jedediah was definitely not a lover. But that was why Octavius loved him so.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated.
> 
> I also have a [tumblr](http://almosthuman-butnotquite.tumblr.com) if anyone is interested in hitting me up.


End file.
